Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland construction operative, entered a plea of not guilty to charges of human trafficking in a Tennessee federal court, his legal team contending that the indictment represents a spurious attempt to retroactively legitimise his erroneous deportation to El Salvador in March, a deportation subsequently overturned by the Supreme Court amidst escalating scrutiny; Abrego Garcia's defence team has cast aspersions on the veracity of government witnesses, alleging quid pro quo arrangements predicated on immigration concessions, while the charges themselves stem from a 2022 traffic infraction in Tennessee wherein Abrego Garcia was apprehended transporting nine passengers, ostensibly triggering suspicions of illicit trafficking, notwithstanding the fact that he was initially released with a mere admonition; pre-hearing, U.S. attorneys characterised Abrego Garcia as a menace to the community and a significant flight risk, levelling accusations of narcotics and firearms trafficking, as well as the exploitation of female subjects transported by him, allegations which precipitated the resignation of Ben Schrader, erstwhile chief of the criminal division at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee.